Ratings For Who Do You Think You Are? Episode 4

Over at NBC, recently introduced Who Do You Think You Are?, featuring Matthew Broderick last night, finished second in total viewers (6.21 million) and third among adults 18-49 (1.5/ 2) at 8 p.m.

It appears that the ratings are down from last week – the Lisa Kudrow episode brought in 7.1 million viewers and 1.7/ 7 among adults 18-49. My take is that the NCAA basketball playoffs took away viewers – mostly male – who would have watched the Broderick episode with its focus on military ancestors.

The NCAA basketball may have taken away male viewers, but I wonder how many people are actually tuning in knowing in advance what the focus is going to be. Sure, there are previews on the website, but I know I never watch the previews. I want to be surprised. Not just for this series – for anything I watch.

I suspect, for the most part, even if the basketball game wasn’t on – the male viewers who would have been interested in the military focus would have either tuned in or not tuned in based on their reactions to the previous episodes, and not based on any foreknowledge of what was going to be on this one.